The present invention is directed to a pool table pocket assembly, the pocket support structure and to a one-piece pocket.
In pool tables, the bed of the pool table is provided with a cut-out portion for each of the corner pockets and for the two side pockets. The rails of the pool table are cut to provide gaps adjacent each of the cut-out portions. A pocket assembly is then mounted in the gaps with the pocket positioned to receive a pool ball which falls through the cut-out portion and into the pocket.
The pocket assembly requires a support member which is usually made of a durable metal and is provided with a pair of mounting projections which are received in the ends of the rails forming the gap. The pocket iron is then covered with a cover of suitable material and the pocket is attached to the cover so that it is supported in the correct position to receive a ball knocked into the pocket. One type of cover is a leather cover of high quality which is stitched onto the iron and then has a pocket such as a leather pocket and a pocket shield attached to the cover. Due to the fact that leather of high quality is difficult to obtain, covers which are made of synthetic material have been proposed and a plastic pocket has also been proposed.
A synthetic cover has been proposed which is molded in one piece and is provided with an opening at each end for the mounting projections and curved flanges which extend between the openings and provides a slot for inserting the pocket iron. The pocket iron is then inserted into the molded cover and the pocket is stitched to the outer flange with the inner flange either acting as a shield or having a shield attached thereto. One difficulty with the above described synthetic pocket is that the curvature of the two flanges is at a smaller radius than the curvature of the outer surface so that the shield is not in a proper location. The second difficulty is that when the assembly is mounted in the gap, the curvature of the flanges exposes the ends of the rails unless additional material is stitched or attached to the covering to cover the exposed ends.
In all of the above type of pocket assemblies, the attachment of the pocket to the covering whether it is a sewn leather cover or a synthetic cover and whether the pocket is a leather pocket or a synthetic pocket requires numerous manipulative steps which are time consuming and add to the cost of the pocket assembly.